Everything you need to throw a cocktail party this summer

Your portable bar

First things first, if you’re planning on hosting multiple cocktail parties this summer, you’ll want a slick and stylish centrepiece to present your drinks and garnishes. Invest in a drinks trolley to add vintage appeal and an air of professionalism to your display. It can act as a smooth facilitator in moving your bar outside, too. Meanwhile a tasteful tray is great for grouping glasses or ingredients, creating a focal point for your offering.

CW picks: 1. M4R Console Trolley Black, was £1,225, now £1041 – buy here. 2. Soho Home Bar Cart, Brass, £463 – buy here. 3. The Conran Shop Block Medium Tray, £30 – buy here. 4. Vitra high tray, £41 – buy here. 5. Alessi Stainless Steel Tray, £74.65 – buy here.

Covetable glassware

What shape and style of glass you use should reflect the cocktails you’re planning on serving. For longer drinks (such as mojitos), you’ll want highball glasses, while shorter drinks (such as margaritas and old-fashioneds) are best presented in tumblers. Elegant, short cocktails (martinis and cosmopolitans among them) should be served in martini glasses. Of course, you can bend the rules to suit your glassware collection, or treat your cabinet to a set of new recruits.

CW picks: 1. Tom Dixon Plum Glass and Copper Ice Bucket, £220 – buy here. 2. Soho Home Barwell Cut Crystal Martini Glass, £32 – buy here. 3. LSA Wicker High Ball glasses, £36 – buy here. 4. Seletti Kintsugi glass and gold tumbler, £21 – buy here. 5. Riedel Boa Wine Decanter, £231.49 – buy here.

Shaken or stirred?

Shaken or stirred? On the rocks or straight up? (Straw or, er, no straw?) Such are the decisions we make when we order cocktails. Make sure your home bar is prepared to cater for all of the above so that guests are able to sip to their preference. Remember, requests may change as the party progresses.

CW picks, left to right: Soho Home Barwell Cut Crystal Martini Shaker, £89 – buy here. Jonathan Adler, Barbell Barware Set, £198 – buy here. Coloured reusable glass straws, £12.50 – buy here. Georg Jensen, Manhattan ice bucket with tongs, £175 – buy here.

Spirits that shine

When it comes to mixing cocktails, following recipes will only get you so far. The spirits themselves are the key ingredient in the drinks you'll be creating, and play a vital role in determining the flavour as much as the quality of the blend. It’s therefore worth spending a little extra on decent spirits brands. Here are some of our favourites…

CW picks: 1. Suntory Hibiki 17-year-old blended whisky, £545 – buy here. 2. Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, £69.50 – buy here. 3. Dead Man's Fingers Spiced Rum, £18 – buy here. 4. El Rayo Tequila, £36.95 – buy here. 5. Silent Pool gin, £49 – buy here. 6. Crystal Head Vodka, £62.99 – buy here.

Mixers moving mountains

We’ve all tasted Fever-Tree tonic by now and agreed it’s a cut above Schweppes. If you want to impress your guests with your selection of mixers and soft drinks, present them with the new brands currently stealing the limelight. Here are some unusual, up-and-coming labels to sample this summer.

CW picks: 1. The Artisan Tonic, £1.50 – buy here. 2. Trip Elderflower, Mint & CBD Sparkling Drink, £3.45 – buy here. 3. Six-pack of Humble Warrior Turmeric and Mango Sparkling Plant-Based Tonic, £24.99 – buy here. 4. Punchy Blood Orange, Bitters and Cardamom Soft, £2.95 – buy here. 5. 24 cans of Bumblezest Flourish & Flow infused sparkling water, £44.99 – buy here.

Help from the experts: the best batched and bottled cocktails

If you’re hoping to delight your guests with some seriously impressive tipples, but are short for time or unsure about your mixing skills, leave it to the experts. Several of London’s best bars now sell batched and bottled versions of their most popular drinks online, meaning all you have to do is order well in advance and pour like a pro. From Swift selling its famous Rhubarb & Custard Milk Punch to Hacha bottling its innovative mirror margaritas, many of the city’s top bars are running a delivery service during their downtime. Check out your favourites on Instagram and find out what they’re offering.

CW picks: 1. Three Sheets’ Negroni, £29 – buy here. 2. Swift Bar’s Rhubarb & Custard Milk Punch, £15 – buy here. 3. Tayer & Elementary Sandalwood Martini, £30 – buy here. 4. Mr Lyan’s Bonfire Old Fashioned, £29.95 – buy here. 5. Hacha’s Mirror Margarita, £35 – buy here. 6. Heads & Tails’ Angel Face gin-based cocktail, £34.99 – buy here.

Sober & savvy: the best non-alcoholic spirits

Gone are the days when teetotallers were reduced to sipping sugary soft drinks from the kids’ table at cocktail parties. Non-alcoholic spirits are just as sophisticated as their intoxicating counterparts – and don’t come with the promise of a headache the next morning. Full-bodied and flavoursome, today’s no- and low-alcohol options are also a great way to engage with mindful drinking; switch your regular spirit for a 0% ABV equivalent every other round and notice the difference in how you feel the next day.

CW picks: 1. Seedlip Grove 42, £28.95 – buy here. 2. Three Spirit Social Elixir, £27 – buy here. 3. Aecorn Aromatic Aperitif, £19.50 – buy here. 4. Ceder’s Classic Non-Alcohol Spirit, £14 – buy here. 5. Stryyk Not Gin, £15.95 – buy here.

Classy cocktail recipes – and where to find them

With many leading bars and mixologists taking to the internet to share their recipes and mixing tips since lockdown, it’s never been easier to add professional flair to your homemade cocktails. You can shake and stir alongside Ryan ‘Mr Lyan’ Chetiyawardana – one of the world’s best mixologists and the man behind Southbank bar Lyaness – thanks to his series of online cocktail-making workshops on MasterClass. While many of the city’s best bars – Swift, Coupette and Scout among them – offer occasional cocktail-making tutorials on Instagram Live.

If you’re new to mixology, start simple with a carefully measured take on a classic summer drink that your whole party is likely to enjoy: the Aperol Spritz. This recipe comes from Oskar Kinberg, bar manager behind Ollie Dabbous’ Michelin-starred Mayfair restaurant Hide.

Ingredients:

50ml Aperol

25ml soda water

75ml Prosecco

1 orange slice

Method

Fill a large wine glass with ice. Add the Aperol, soda water and prosecco and gently stir (using a bar spoon) for 30 seconds before tasting. If you feel the cocktail is too bitter, add a touch more prosecco. If it’s too sweet, add a touch more soda water. If the cocktail lacks body, add more Aperol. If it’s well balanced, finish with a thick slice of orange.